


Aria and The Duet

by devylish



Category: Grey's Anatomy
Genre: F/M, Female Character of Color, Mary Sue's can be good, Terminal Illnesses, end game - mallie, smoking is bad for you
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-18
Updated: 2014-05-18
Packaged: 2018-01-25 14:17:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 13,598
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1651646
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/devylish/pseuds/devylish
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Callie's sister Aria is in town, and she's about to mix things up. </p>
<p>Mature topics, although, not heavy on the sex (more suggestive).</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Search For Wow

**Author's Note:**

> Older piece that I had on FF net, moving here to AAooo.

"So she's your girlfriend, huh?"

Callie sighed and straightened her shoulders, readying herself for the oncoming onslaught. "Yes."

"No es tan caliente." 

Aria continued before Callie could defend her girlfriend. "I mean, she's not bad, but, I kind of expected something more… 'wow' for you."

"Wow' being 'male'?"

"Not necessarily. There are some pretty wowless men out there. Like that O'Malley guy you married. Pure Wowlessness."

"George was… nice."

"And we see how well 'nice' worked out for you." Aria plopped down on the couch, propping her feet up on her luggage. "You need 'wow'." She peered at Callie, "you know who's 'wow'? I mean, if you're going to do a girl?"

Callie dropped down on the couch next to her sister; her head heavy against the couch pillow.

"Montgomery. That Montgomery friend of yours. Whatever happened to her? If your gay, why didn't you jump her bones? Or did you? Ohhh! You know who else you could be with who would make sense? Yang. Yang is hot. You two do live together… are you…?"

"Yang and me?! No! Hell no! No!"

Yang cleared her throat from her spot by the entrance to the hallway. "Fuck you Callie, you know you want me."

"In your dreams." Callie leaned forward and pressed the balls of her hands against her tired eyes as Yang pontificated to Aria regarding just how much she could have rocked Callie's world, if she swung that way.

Callie tuned the women out and took a deep breath, trying to make her body relax; today soooo had NOT been her day.

(())

_No matter how hard she tried, or how many pillows she buried her head beneath, the shrill ring of her cell phone wasn't ignorable. Slamming her hand on the bedside table until she found the hated gadget, she blindly answered it._

_"Hello."_

_"Calliope?"_

_"What...? What? Wait... ? Aria? Is that you?! Are you okay? Is something wrong with Mama… or Daddy?!"_

_"Last time I spoke to them they were fine. How quickly can you get to the airport?"_

_Callie sat up in bed, "What the fuck is wrong?"_

_"Nothing, Jesus! Calm down."_

_"You call me at… 3 am on a Friday morning – after not talking to me for 10 months - and ask me how quickly can I get to an airport, and you think I'm overreacting?" Callie dropped back down in the bed and pulled the comforter over her head. "What do you want Aria?"_

_"I want you to get your ass up and come to the airport to pick me up."_

_Callie shot up again. "You're here… in Seattle?"_

_"Score one point for the doctor."_

_"Why are you here in Seattle?"_

_"Free country, I can go anywhere I want to."_

_Callie kicked her legs free of the comforter, "And yet, knowing I'm here in Seattle and that we haven't talked to one another in nearly a year, you still decide to come to my state?"_

_"Can't a big sister just want to come out and visit her baby sister?"_

_"With no warning? And no… no… warning!?"_

_"Surprise!"_

_Callie groaned and started digging through her closet for clothes, "Sea Tac right?"_

_"Right, Midwest Airlines."_

_"I'll see you in forty five minutes."_

_()_

_Callie almost hadn't recognized Aria when she saw her. Since the last time they'd seen one another she had added blue and red streaks to her hair, and she'd lost about 20 pounds. It was the loud pink Miami Missiles T-shirt and the too tight top and too short skirt that finally convinced Callie that she was looking at Aria._

_"You're really here."_

_"Would have been a neat prank to NOT be here, but yeah. I'm here," she climbed into the front seat of Callie's car. "So show me Seattle."_

_"It's 4 am, Seattle, much like I was before you called, is asleep."_

_"C'mon, there have to be some after-hours bars, or, hell, coffee shops that are open that we could go to."_

_And that's how the day started; Callie chauffeuring Aria around Seattle, for coffee, for breakfast, for more coffee, until finally, they arrived back at her place at 7am, when all of the rest of the world was just starting to wake up._

_Their time together hadn't been as bad as Callie had feared it would be. They spent most of the time reminiscing. Laughing about Daddy's love of golf, and his intense inability to play the game. Mimicking some of their mother's favorite catch phrases. Making fun of their brothers' most embarrassing moments growing up._

_The discussion had been good. Better than most of the discussions they had had in the past few years._

_But when they'd returned to Callie's place, her apprehension kicked back in. First, Aria met Arizona as Arizona headed out to work. Awkward introduction._

_And secondly, Callie was still curious as to the real reason Aria was in town. A sudden yen to 'see her little sister' did not cut it for Callie. Despite their recent three hours of good conversation, she didn't honestly think Aria was visiting for shits and giggles._

(())

Callie was brought back to the here and now by a knock on the door. The knock was followed Mark pushing into the apartment with a loud, "Torres, Yang, are you ready?"

He turned into the living room and froze… for just a second. "New girlfriend Torres?"

"I'll get one when you get one." She offered lightly. Standing up she turned to Aria.

"Aria, this is Mark Sloan: man-whore, doctor, neighbor and friend. Mark, this is my sister, Aria."

Mark looked at Aria, saw the resemblance and wondered how he'd missed it before. "Beautiful women do run in the Torres family!"

"Beautiful and flexible." Aria suggested.

Mark and Callie spoke simultaneously:

"Don't I know it."

"Down sis, he's got a girlfriend."

"Wait, did you just say that you know we Torres' are flexible?" Aria looked between Mark and Callie; a Callie who had turned a shade of red, and a Mark who smiled, somewhat smugly.

Yang entered the living room. "There is definite carnal knowledge between these two; big time, dirty, sexy, hot, dirty, carnal knowledge."

"Yang!"

"What? I should lie?"

Callie groaned.

"Okay ladies as much as I love having my sexual prowess discussed, we have a staff meeting this morning in like five minutes and I'm on Webber's shit list already."

Yang looked through her bag for her pager and turned it on, "you're not abusing the on call rooms again, are you?" The two of them walked to the door while Callie picked up her bag and turned to Aria.

Pulling a key off of her key ring she nodded her head down the hall. "My room's on the left, don't open any drawers. You can eat anything in the fridge except for the Kugels; those are Yang's and she'll seriously kill you if you touch them."

Yang yelled from the door. "She's not kidding."

"Here's my key. Don't copy it, lose it, or give it to anyone. I'll be back around five." Awkwardly hugging her sister, Callie bounded to the door where her friends were impatiently waiting.

"Hey Calliope!" Aria called as Callie closed the door.

Frowning at the use of her full first name, Callie pushed the door back open, "What?"

"Sloan? Now THAT's a 'wow'." She grinned as Callie rolled her eyes and escaped out of the apartment.

(())

They were finishing up dinner – pizza and cheesy bread from Altonos, when Aria asked the question Callie had been dreading. "So, what's the story with you and the hottie?"

Callie feigned misunderstanding. "Arizona?"

"No. She's the non-hottie."

"Arizona is hot!"

"If you like blondes. Which we don't."

"Speak for yourself." Callie muttered.

"I'm your older sister, I know of what I speak."

"Are you the same older sister who told me that rubbing Ben-gay on my boobs would make them stop growing?"

Aria gave a bark of laughter. "That was funny."

"I still can't get near that stuff without getting the shivers."

"Speaking of shivers, spill… you and Sloan. What's the deal?"

"There is no deal. we're deal-less."

"But that hasn't always been the story."

"We had a … fuck-buddy deal for a while, but now we're just friends."

"Did he dump you?"

"No! No. I… I guess I kind of – well we were never a couple, just friend with benefits, so no one dumped anyone."

"Why didn't you become more than friends with benefits?"

"Any of your business?"

"You're family, all your shit is my business."

"Which brings me back around to: 'why are you here'?"

"Can't a girl just want to see her baby sister?"

"Not when the girl is you. You're the queen of ulterior motives."

"I… just really wanted to see you."

Callie raised a brow questioningly.

"And NOW, I have a purpose. You said Sloan is your neighbor?"

"Yeah he and Lexie live across the -.... wait, why?"

"Unless you give me a good reason for why you're with Arizona… or a good reason for why you're not with Dr. Hotness, I'm going to get you a 'wow'."

"I'm with Arizona because I'm happy with her. She's great. We're good together. Do you need more reasons?"

"I didn't hear you say you love her."

"Of course I love her!"Callie snapped.

"Uh huh." Aria reached into her purse and pulled out a pack of cigarettes. "If we were talking about someone I cared about the words 'I love them' would have been the first part of my argument." She flicked on her lighter.

"No smoking in the apartment."

Aria sighed, "Fine, I'll go stand in the street."

Exiting Callie's apartment, Aria looked across the hall to Dr. Mark Sloan's apartment. Maybe she should work at this from another angle.

Knocking lightly on the door, she heard a woman's voice from inside of the apartment chirp, "I'll get it."

The girlfriend. Well this ought to be fun.

When the door swung open, Aria had her most innocent smile on her face: "Hi! Is Mark avail—" she paused when she saw him walk through the hall. "Mark!"

"Aria? Hi, come in!" He did quick introductions, "Lexie this is Aria – Callie's sister. Aria, this is Lexie Grey, my girlfriend."

Aria didn't miss the roll of her eyes that Lexie delivered at the mention of Callie's name. Nor did she miss the way that Lexie draped her hands around Mark's arms – proprietorially.

_Don't worry sweetie. I don't want him – not for myself at least._

"Nice to meet you." She turned back to face Mark, "Is there anywhere where a girl can go have a drink and a cigarette in this town?" She held up her cigarette pack.

"Sorry, non-smoking state. But there IS a good bar down the street." He paused, "Hey Lex, dinner won't be for another hour or so, right?"

Lexie opened her mouth to protest, having a funny feeling as to where Mark's mind was going.

Aria beat her to it.

"An escort! I haven't had an escort since High School." She put her hand on Lexie's arm – assuring her she was teasing – at the same time she leaned in to Mark, "And let me tell you, THAT was a fun night." When she started losing weight, her boobs had shrunk with the rest of her. But the girls were still pretty eye-catching. And if she'd read Mark right, he was a boob man. Which meant Aria could use the girls to manipulate him. It also meant Callie was more his type of girl than his current girlfriend was. Oh Lexie was pretty, in the girl next door kind of way. But, she glanced up at Mark who had just torn his eyes away from her chest, who wanted the girl next door, when you could have the girl across the hall.

Leading him to the door, she threw over her shoulder. "Thank you so much for letting me steal your boyfriend Lexie. I promise to have him home in time for dinner…, and only slightly tipsy."

With that, they were out the door and in the hall. Aria talking and pulling him after her the whole time. "Callie's tired, so we'll just leave her at home this time, and you and I can get to know each other. I've always wanted to meet more of Callie's friends. Especially the cute ones!" A little flattery never hurt any plan, she thought before pushing on. "AND, if you get a couple of drinks in me, I'll tell you the best story about Callie's breasts."


	2. Unravelling

Callie flipped from one station to another as she sat on the couch. She was only giving half of her attention to the television; the rest of it was focused on Aria. And wondering why she was in Seattle with her least favorite sibling.

Growing up with Aria had been an experience. As the only two daughters in a family of seven kids - and with a ten year span of ages between the two of them - Callie and Aria hadn't always gotten along very well. Part of it was the fact that Aria had always been a free spirit, fighting against every rule, every bit of control waved in her direction.

-'No daughter of mine will date until she's 16!' she started dating when she was 14.  
-'No daughter of mine will ruin her skin with a tattoo!' she got a rose on her ankle.  
-'No daughter of mine will live in sin with a man!' yeah, you guessed it. First it was Danny, and then it was Raff.

Callie was the good girl, if only by comparison, and if only because her sister had blazed the trail.

And honestly, Callie wasn't **all** that good of girl. Which really didn't put her on Aria's favorite list; comparisons between the two of them by their parents never seemed to come out in Aria's favor.

Callie sniffed and smirked, of course, going gay had helped even the scales a bit between the two of them. Now Aria was no longer the only daughter who had been disowned. And, in Aria's favor? She'd been re-owned. It had been close to a year and Callie was still persona non-gratis at the Torres Miami compound.

She missed her family. All of them. Even Aria.

"Hunnnny, I'm hommmmme!" A hoarse, loud voice called from the hall before a jiggling of the apartment doorknob gave way to Aria.

Looking away from the television Callie looked at the time. Her sister had had a one hour cigarette?

When Aria flopped down on the couch next to her, Callie got a hint (more like a sniff) of the fact that Aria had had more than a cigarette. Turning toward Aria she questioned, "How the hell did you find a bar in a town that you don't live in that quickly?"

Aria grinned, "It's kind of like radar. I call it Bar-dar… and by the way," her grin turned into a frown and she reached across the couch and whacked Callie upside the back of her head.

"Ow! What the fuck!?"

"How the hell did you let a man as sexy as Mark Sloan escape your grips?"

"What?!" Callie rubbed the back of her head

"Sloan. Tall, good looking, Doctor who lives across the hall? I just had drinks with him and, Jesus Call!" Aria leaned towards her sister. "I know you like girls, and if that's what you like, great. Wonderful. But," Aria fanned her hand over her face quickly, "el hombre es el epítome de la caliente!"

"You had drinks with Sloan? You went out for a cigarette and ended up having drinks with Sloan?! How the hell did you end up in a bar with Mark?!"

Aria sniffed, "Don't change the topic."

Callie hung her head and took a deep breath."You are intent on being the death of me, aren't you?"

"Death is inevitable."

((Across the hall))

Mark was still smiling when he walked into his apartment. Aria was fun. A little brash, but honest and goodhearted and fun. She reminded him of Callie for more than her boobs. Pushing the door shut behind him he followed the scent of food into the kitchen.

"Hey baby," he walked over to Lexie placing his hands on her arms as she stood at the stove.

Silence.

"Lex?"

She slipped out from beneath his hands and moved to the cabinet where the plates were stored. She did so silently.

He sighed. Shit. "Lexie?"

She slammed a plate onto the counter and then reached for a bowl, slamming that down beside the plate.

"You do know that the silent treatment is childish, don't you?"

She opened the refrigerator, pulled out a bottle of wine and slammed the door shut.

"Lexie, if you don't tell me what's pissing you off, I can't fix the situation. And if I don't fix the situation, I don't get sex tonight." He grabbed her arm, "Talk to me."

Lexie looked up at him. "So, how was your date with Torres #2?" Not waiting for him to respond, she pulled her arm out of his grip and walked to the counter, opening the wine as she went. "What is it about them? The Torres women I mean. They're like damn flames and you're… you're a human moth! Is it the breasts?" she looked down at her own chest and straightened her shoulders, pushing her breasts out a bit. "It's the breasts isn't it?" She looked at him.

Mark stared at her in confusion. "Breasts? Date? I'm not a moth!" he took a deep breath, "Lexie you're not making sense, I went out for drinks with Callie's sister. I was gone for," he glanced at his watch, "less than an hour. There was no kissing, no touching, barely any looking. I had two fucking drinks. Am I not allowed to spend time with any women now?"

"No, just the Torreses!" She stopped her dinner preparation and let her shoulders drop. "I'm sorry. You – I understand Callie is your friend." She didn't understand. She didn't understand at all, but she couldn't tell him that. "But, it just seems like she's everywhere. All the time." Moving to Mark, Lexie looked up at him and wrapped her arms around his waist. "We haven't seen one another for more than hour in the past week. I was looking forward to spending time with you tonight."

"It was just an hour Lex. And Callie wasn't even there." He lifted his hand to her hair, pushing it behind her ear.

Offering a small, weak, sad smile, Lexie responded. "It's always just an hour."

"I –"

She pulled away, "I made steaks. And baked potatoes." She moved back to the cabinet and pulled more flatware out.

Mark opted to keep his mouth shut. He didn't get it. Well, he sort of got her concern about Callie. But… he, Callie, they'd closed the door on that. He'd made a promise to himself that he was going to give this thing with Lexie a shot. And he'd been good. He'd been damn good. But being good didn't mean he could give up Callie altogether. Completely cutting Callie out of his life? It would be like excising an arm or a leg.

And what the hell?! He hadn't even been WITH Callie tonight!

He forced himself to let it go. "Steak and potato man here!" He joined her in prepping their plates.

(())

Shuffling into the kitchen at 813am Callie was surprised to find Cristina and Aria already chatting over coffee.

"Hell yes, the coffee is made." She reached for the pot and carried it to the mugs, dropping in a little bit of sugar and stirring she turned to face Yang and Aria who were, now, suddenly silent.

"What?" Callie looked back down over her shoulder at her ass. "Did I sit in something?"

"Nope. Yang was just giving me the lowdown on you and McSteamy. And may I say, 'you go girl!' I hear you guys were working those on call rooms!"

"Yang…." Callie groaned.

"What? She asked. And, well, I had information. What good is information if you don't use it? Share it?"

Callie's glare at Yang had no effect. Giving up and turning to Aria, who was grinning like the cat who caught the canary, she asked, "Did you get all you needed to know? Are we done with your fascination with this issue now?"

"Not by a long shot," Aria responded.

"How did I know you were going to say that?"

"You're much smarter than you look?"

"Why do I always feel like the only adult in this relationship?"

"I've always thought it was because you were born without a joie de vivre." Aria pushed away from the table and stretched. "Well Cristina, thanks for the input, I'm calling the shower." She glanced at her watch. "Shit. I've got to rush."

"Rush? Where are you going?"

"I've got stuff to do."

"You're in Seattle. What do you need to do in Seattle…, other than spend time with me?"

Aria paused at the edge of the kitchen with an enigmatic smile on her face. "You aren't the only attraction in Seattle, Calliope." Wiggling her eyebrows suggestively, she headed to the bathroom.

Yang settled lower in her chair and looked at Callie. "I like her. She's a smart cookie."

"A smart cookie?"

"I could have called her a smart bitch, but it's a little early in the morning for swearing…. Unless you're in bed…. And the swears are surrounded by an 'oh God, oh God, oh God!'"

Callie couldn't fight the smile that flit across her face. "That IS an early morning swear-worthy scenario."

They shared a laugh and Callie moved to sit down across from her roommate.

"You do know that she's right though, don't you?"

"Aria? Right about what?"

"You and Sloan. You two were hot together. And as much as it pains me to say it, you were good together too."

"Yeah, well now I'm good with Arizona."

Yang snorted. "Why didn't you and McSteamy ever… go for it?"

Playing dumb was always an option. "Go for it?"

"You fucked like rabbits, you shared secrets, you were… close; why didn't you go the distance? Do the whole relationship, dating, and 'I want to be with you forever' thing?"

"I thought it was too early for swearing."

"'Fucked' is a verb - and sometimes a noun – it's not a swear. Stop evading."

Callie gave up. "Mark and I both know that the whole, 'I want to be with you forever' thing is a fallacy."

Yang shook her head. "Try again. Mark and Lexie are playing house. Arizona probably thinks forever is a possibility, even if you don't." Cristina stood up and dropped her cup into the sink. "Yup, I think I'm going to have to side with Aria on this issue; you and Mark have unfinished business."

(())

"Hey Callie." Aria dropped onto the bed next to her sister, closing her eyes immediately.

Callie glanced over at her sister who looked drained and tired. "So were you late? To your 'thing' this morning?"

Aria gave a faint smile. "Too late, but right on time."

"Huh?"

"Nothing. You know what I want to do? Christmas shopping. We only have two weeks, and I don't have anything for anyone." She found a well of energy and dug in to it, pushing herself into a seated position she nudged Callie's shoulder, "where can we go and get stuff?"

"Christmas shopping?"

"C'mon. You use to love Christmas! Where's your spirit?"

"I think I left it with my joie de vivre."

"Ha. Ha. Put on your walking shoes and let's go!"

Callie put down the book she'd been reading and rolled over on to her back. "You know what you're like? You're kind f like a mosquito bite. You know it's wrong to scratch it, but it absolutely aches until you give in and rub it."

Aria laughed, and tilted her head to the side, "You know, the same thing could be said for a cock."

Callie looked at Aria and the two of them burst out laughing.

"C'mon Calliope, we have money to spend!"

()

They'd been in nearly every department store, in nearly every shop known to Seattle and they were tired. Tired but relaxed and pleased, Callie had gotten something for nearly everyone on her list. Left to shop for were of course, Aria, and –

"…so what are you getting Sloan?"

"A bib so he can more easily burp Lexie." Callie stopped walking. "I said that out loud, didn't I?"

Aria laughed, "Yes you fucking did!" She broke into a cough and tears she was laughing so hard. "It's about fucking time you showed some fight Callie! Jesus, I was starting to lose faith you."

"It was a temporary slip of the tongue. I – like Lexie. She's a nice girl"

"Optimal word being girl." Aria held her hand up and stopped the growing argument. "Ne'ermind the twit, what are you getting Mark? Lingerie? Sex toy? Both in a one size fits Callie option?"

"A watch okay. I'm getting him a watch. He loses his all the time, so I'm getting him a nice watch."

Aria looked at Callie. "Well, it's thoughtful." She scrunched her eyes, "Are you going to at least wrap it in lingerie – one size fits Callie – lingerie?"

"No. There will be no lingerie between Mark and me this year."

"Naked is good."

Naked with Mark was good. And no the hell I did not just think that. "Look he's getting a watch, it's something he can use, and he'll like it." She turned to Aria, "you need to get this through your overly thick skull, there's no more nakedness between me and Mark." She didn't mention the chats in his bathroom while he was showering. Aria didn't need any more ammunition for her arsenal.

"You keep saying that, and I keep asking 'why?'. Have you noticed how you never really answer that question?"

"Arrrrggggghhhh!"

(())

"Let's go out."

"We just came in from out."

Callie, Aria and Yang were spread out in the living room; Yang was in charge of keeping the wineglasses full, and Callie and Aria were wrapping and labeling their plethora of gifts. Callie added as she finished wrapping her fifth gift, "We need less fucking family members… and friends."

"I want to go out, have some fun." Aria turned to her newest ally. "Yang? Want to get your party on?"

"Is the answer to that question ever, really 'no'?"

"Not in my world."

"Just girls? or the whole gang?"

Callie looked between her sister and roommate as the two of them took over the plans for the evening without her. They were kind of peas in a pod. With both of them on one side of an issue/idea/goal, she didn't stand a chance.

" – I'll call 'em. Ooooh!" Yang reached for her cell phone, "let's go that new club, the one on Chase, Oddle, or Odde."

Callie offered, "Ode."

"That's the one!" She turned her head back to her phone, "Hello? Mere? Get your ass dressed, and grab Derek… we're going out."


	3. Once Again

Ode was the latest thing in Seattle, boasting strong drinks, delicious appetizers and a DJ/sound system that was the envy of other clubs.

Paying a cover charge that made the guys cringe a little, they'd headed in. And after two hours of drinks, appetizers, drinks, music, and more drinks, they were all feeling… good. All of them being: Callie, Aria, Yang and Hunt, Meredith and Derek, and Sloan. 

Yup, the gang was all there. Erh, all of them except for Lexie. And Arizona. Both of these ladies were on shift tonight. Which left Callie and Mark… and Aria as the stag members of this little outing.

Callie still wasn't certain how Aria had gotten Sloan to agree to go, but she was pretty certain it had involved impugning his manhood in some way.

No matter, they were all having a good time, kicking back and relaxing…. Yang and Grey had even been able to get Hunt and Shepherd out on to the floor once or twice. As a matter of fact, they were out there now, leaving Aria Callie and Mark at the table.

Taking a swig of her TnT, Aria turned to Callie, "Wanna dance?" Callie shrugged and stood up.

Joining her at the front of the table, Aria leaned over Mark and tugged at his arm, "C'mon big boy, you too."

"I don't dance."

"You're dancing for me." She ordered and then she added, "c'mon Sloan, this has to be one of your fantasies… doing it with two hot ass sisters?"

He grinned "Well, when you put it that way." He let her lead him and Callie out onto the hot,crowded dance floor.

The music thump thump thumped a heavy bass as the lights dimmed and flashed in time with the beat.

As the third song started, Aria started to cough, holding her hand to her chest.

"Are you okay!?" Callie yelled over the music.

"Damn smoker's cough! I need to get my drink! I'll be right back!" Walking behind Callie, Aria, none too subtly, shoved her sister against Mark's solid frame.

Callie fell against him, arms and legs akimbo. And Mark, per usual, caught her, preventing her from falling.

Catching one another was, after all, what they did best.

_Thump thump thump_

Aria coughed a few more times as she threaded her way off the floor. Taking a deep breath and gratefully collecting her drink as she reached the table, she asked, "Are they still dancing?"

Yang stared at the floor from her spot on Hunt's lap. "I guess you could call it dancing; although, I didn't know this was a slow dance."

Aria turned to face the dancing throng, and grinned. Mark had his arms around Callie's waist and she had her arms wrapped around his neck. They were dancing alright, but it was definitely to the beat of their own music.

Thump thump thump

He breathed in her scent and he was almost instantly hard. Callie. Soft against him – once again.

Thump thump thump

Callie stood in his arms, forgetting that there was any other place she'd ever been.

"Hey buddy." His voice was in that range, that timbre that it went to when he was turned on.

"Hey… pal." And hers was husky, breathless.

His hips were pressed against hers. They fit. It had been a year and it was as if he'd never left her side, never left her scent.

She curved her fingers along the short curls at the back of his neck, and she could feel him leaning into her touch – once again.

Thump thump thump

()

Aria followed Meredith to the ladies room and without waiting, offered an apology/warning. "I don't think Sloan and your sister are a match."

Meredith blinked a few times. "Okay."

"I just wanted to give you fair warning that – while I'm here – I'm going to see what I can do to get Calliope and Mark together. Back together."

Deer. Headlights. "Uhm, okay."

"I don't want to hurt Arizona or Lexie, but, I'm usually right about people, and they're not going to get what they need from Cal and Mark; not when those two are still in one another's systems. And from what I saw on the dance floor, they're in one another's systems – deep."

Meredith gathered herself. "I won't let Sloan get away with cheating on Lexie."

"That's not what I'm aiming for. I want the two of them, Mark and Callie, to realize they're with the wrong people. Cheating does no one any good."

Meredith gave a half nod; half a blessing.

Thump thump thump

Funny how physical closeness can take you 'there'. How it can make everything on your body more alive. More aware. More responsive.

His breathing, deep and steady against her, combined with the music, the darkness, and the bodies gyrating around them, made Callie feel weak to her knees. Her nipples had hardened, and she was feeling womanly, in ways that only Mark had ever managed to make her feel.

She let her head drop against his shoulder and she breathed him in.

He shifted against her, lowering his hands a few inches until they rested just at the curve of her ass. And he pulled her closer yet to his body; his hardness pressed to her softness.

He heard her quiet whimper as she let him hold her; and his cock jumped. He wanted a wall, a column, the floor… something that he could use to hold Callie in place while he reacquainted himself to her body. His mouth was dry and he wanted to taste her – drink her. His hands clutched at her skirt, wanting to touch flesh – to be closer. And, Jesus, his cock wanted in – in her.

He audibly groaned when she slowly pulled away from him.

And she was looking up at him, the words 'we can't do this' written in her eyes.

And suddenly he could hear the music again. He could feel the bodies around them.

He remembered Lexie.

He remembered her, and damnit, he still wanted to touch Callie. But he'd made a promise. His hands still circling Callie, he brushed his hard cock against her belly, before requesting "give me a second here."

She nodded in semi-amused understanding; imaging him thinking of baseball, or cold showers, or whatever it was that boys dreamed of when they wanted to take down a mast.

A smile on her face, she offered up a distraction for him. "Think of Derek naked."

Mark groaned and laughed at the same time and quirking his eyes at Callie he responded, "I've seen him naked, he's kind of hot."

It was Callie's turn to laugh and she hit Mark on the chest as she retorted "Okay, now I have disturbing-ish thoughts in my head. Thanks. Thanks a lot."

"Disturbing or hot?" He followed her off of the dance floor.

(())

"That was some show you and Mark put on tonight."

"Glad you liked it," Callie said, refusing to rise to the bait.

"If I didn't know you both had girlfriends, I would have thought the two of you were a couple out there on the floor."

Callie remained silent as she wiped off her makeup.

"I wonder how Arizona would have reacted to your dance."

"Aria, back the fuck off."

Aria held her hands up in mock surrender… before pushing forward anyway. "Listen, lil sister, I'm just trying to wake you the fuck up. Life is too short to spend it with the wrong person."

"You don't even fucking know Arizona, you've spent all of fifteen minutes with her; how can you say she's the wrong person?"

"I know YOU. You're my baby sister." She cut off Callie's argument, "And no, I couldn't care less if you're gay, straight, lesbian, bi, in to trannies, whatever the fuck. What I do care about is you not being with someone who makes your heart beat. Arizona IS sweet, but Mark… he's not sweet, and he makes you restless. He also makes you 'YOU' tenfold. You're Callie magnified around him."

Callie looked at her sister through the mirror, pleading with her eyes, as she repeated, "Aria, I need you to back the fuck off…, please." She put down her towel and walked out of the bathroom.

The rest of the fallout from the night at the club was quiet, but it existed.

.

.

_Arizona: did you guys have fun?_

_Callie: yeah, it was fun._

_Arizona: any salacious happenings? Yang flash anyone?"_

_Callie: not until we got home. Then there were boobs everywhere._

_Arizona: I hate missing that stuff! - pause – Anything else happen?_

_Callie: - not looking Arizona in the eyes – No._

_._

_._

_Lexie: I don't feel comfortable with you hanging out with her without me around._

_Mark: there were five other people there! [not that I still didn't almost take her there on the dance floor]_

_Lexie: I just… you two have a history; what if I hung out with one of my exes all of the time? How would YOU feel?_

_Mark: - pause –_

_Lexie: you paused!_

_Mark: I was thinking_

_Lexie: Mark, crap! There's nothing to think about!_

_._

_._

_Callie: oh, uh, hi._

_Mark: hi – eyes raking over her_

_Callie: how are you?_

_Mark: Amazing, as ever._

_Callie: - eye roll_

_Mark: and you? – eyes caressing her_

_Callie: I'm pretty amazing myself._

_Mark: I remember._

_Callie: - pause – Lexie. How's Lexie doing?_

_Mark: - pause – she's… okay. And Arizona?_

_Callie: - pause – I… I'm sorry I'm late, I have to go. – and take a cold shower, crap!_

_Mark: watching her ass as she walked away._

 

**Tuesday morning**

I'm a bad bad bitch. Aria thought as she picked up Callie's cell phone. But, she typed in her text, I'm a bad bad bitch working for the good of my sister. Sending the text she put the phone down and escaped out of Callie's apartment and skipped down the hall and out of the building.

_To: 1. 206. 555. 1536_  
From: Calliope  
911.  
ER.  
My apartment NOW! 

Mark didn't hesitate when he got the message, slamming out of his apartment and pushing into Callie's, which Aria had conveniently left unlocked.

"Callie?!"

No answer.

"Callie?!"

He heard the shower running and headed down the hall to the bathroom. What if she cut herself, or fell and knocked herself out. He paused at the door. "Callie?"

Inside the shower, safe and sound and getting herself squeaky clean, Callie pealed her ears. Did I just hear someone call my name? Hearing no further sounds, she went back to sudsing.

Mark took a deep breath and prepared himself for what he might see in the bathroom – blood… unconsciousness – and pushed in. Moving decisively toward the shower he pulled the curtain aside.

And, no, he hadn't prepared himself enough for what he did see; slick, wet, lathered Callie, staring at him wide eyed.

"Are you okay?" The words were out of his mouth even as he swept his gaze over her form, first in medical review, and then in a purely male fashion.

"I'm fine. What the hell are you doing here?"

"I got your text. I thought something was wrong."

"My text?"

"Come to my apartment asap. Something's wrong."

"I didn't text –" Aria! She was going to kill her! "Where's Aria?"

Mark shrugged. His eyes were still wandering over Callie's naked form. She was more beautiful than he remembered, her skin was more caramel, her breasts were fuller, and her hips were more curved. He also noted she'd stopped shaving bare. Instead, there was a trimmed thatch of hair leading his eye down between her thighs. She was definitely better than he'd remembered.

Callie, pretty much positive that her sister had sent Mark some sort of text message, suddenly realized she was naked.

Naked naked.

In front of Mark Sloan, the man who apparently still possessed the power to melt her.

Reaching up to turn off the water, she stared at him. That must have been some text he got, because he was wearing pretty much close to nothing himself. His pajama pants, the dark blue cotton ones… her favorites, were all he was wearing. His chest was bare, his feet were bare. And yeah, his chest was bare.

"Can I have a towel?"

Mark reached to the side and pulled a towel off of the rack; he unfolded it and held it open in front of him.

She knew it wasn't wise. She knew she should take the towel from him and send him out of the room. But instead, she did what she 'wanted' to do. She stepped out of the shower, taking the two steps necessary to stand right in front of him.

Mark draped the towel across Callie's body, and using his right hand, he rubbed the soft cloth along her shoulder. He lifted his other hand, and dried her second shoulder. And he slowly worked his way down and across her body, inch by inch; toweling her dry. Admiring her body. Wishing things were different for them; between them.

He crouched before her, her leg in his hands as he used the towel to pat her calf and foot dry. She rested one hand on his shoulder, steadying herself as she quietly let him touch her.

Why was he so enticing? Why did he make her skin, her nerve endings ache, from his touch… for his touch. And why didn't she feel this way about Arizona?

Mark stood up, dropped the towel he'd used to dry her off onto the floor and grabbed a fresh dry towel. He wrapped it around Callie's frame and carefully tucked the edges in around her breasts.

Lifting his hand to her face, he rubbed his thumb along her cheek, "I'll see you tomorrow, at the party." He leaned forward and kissed her on the forehead before backing his way out of the bathroom, leaving her alone in the apartment.

(())

"Dr. Balke!"

"Sloan! Glad you could make it, how are you man? I haven't seen you in too long!"

"I know, tell me about it. So you're working the late shift today too?"

"Today will be my third twelve hour day in a row. I even put in a half a day on Saturday."

"You oncologists work too hard." They had settled into their chairs in Nate Balke's office and Mark pulled out his pad of paper and pen, ready to talk reconstructive surgery options for some of Nate's patients.

"Wish I could say the same about Plastics."

"Ha. Ha. So what do we have?"

They spent fifteen, twenty minutes discussing three of Nate's patients that Mark would be doing some reconstructive work on. Then with a sigh Nate sat back in his chair, "okay I think that's it for now."

Tapping is pen on the table as Mark scanned through his notes, Nate spoke his thoughts aloud. "Sometimes it's hard being God."

"I've never had a problem with it."

Nate smiled. "I'm assuming that's because you haven't had as much practice as I have."

"Ouch."

"I had this referral come in from Florida. Vibrant, outgoing, early 40's, pervasive lung cancer… she's stage four, still a smoker; she was my Saturday appointment. I was her last shot." He shrugged, "And I don't see any options. Chemo might make the masses smaller, for a while, but, it would just extend her life, and not by much. And she's not the type to go through Chemo if it's just going to be a futile exercise."

Mark was frozen in his chair. Florida, vibrant, smoker…. It couldn't be a coincidence. "Does she have kids?"

"No, and I guess that's a blessing. But," Nate looked at Mark, "you know how you meet those special patients? The ones that remind you why you became a doctor? She's one of those. I'm giving her a death sentence and she's cracking jokes at me…, coming on to me. You never want to tell someone there's no hope, but, some people? Some people you want to be God for."

()

Mark waited impatiently at the door of Callie's apartment, having fully and completely learned the importance of being invited in versus barging in.

Yang opened the door and yelled back into the apartment, "McSteamy in the house!"

"Is Aria here?"

Callie came out of the kitchen, pink tingeing her cheeks. "I already kicked her ass for this morning."

Mark let his eyes trail up and down Callie's figure – imagining her dripping wet – before responding, "I need to talk to her myself."

"She's on a stupid Mark/Callie kick, but she didn't mean any harm." Callie started defending her sister.

Yang looked between the two of them, "what the hell did I miss? What did Aria do?"

Callie and Mar answered simultaneously.

"Nothing."

"Nothing."

Cristina narrowed her eyes and announced, "Oh, I willlll find out!"

"Aria!" Mark called out.

"McSteamy." Aria walked out of the living room, glass of wine in hand. "Always a pleasure."

"I need to talk to you."

She sighed, "Callie already bitched me out. 'I'm sorrrrrry'." She enunciated carefully, and untruthfully.

"I still need to talk to you."

Aria looked at his face; his eyes were serious and dark.

"Okay."

"Mark don't be too hard on her," Callie tried to intervene.

"I'm a big girl Cal; I can take whatever he wants to dish out." Aria grabbed her purse and followed Mark out the door.

Mark led her out of the apartment, and they walked down the street silently.

"So what's up chicken butt?" Aria asked lightly.

"Have you told Callie?"

"That I connived and manipulated to get you two in the same room alone this morning? She kind of figured it out on her own."

"No. That you're – sick."

Aria stopped walking; her face draining of colour. She reached into her purse, pulling out her cigarettes and lighter. With shaky fingers she lit a cigarette.

Mark tried again. "Does she know?"

"No."

"How long have you been given?"

"Three days, three weeks, three months." She looked at him with that classic Torres smile, this one a little sadder, a little more resolute. "Apparently the Reaper doesn't work on a schedule."

"And you've tried everything? Dr. Balke is a great respiratory oncologist, but there are others, Mayfield in LA, or, Alban in Dallas."

"Isn't talking about patients a HIPAA violation? Anyway, I'm done being poked, and prodded and dissected." She blew out a trail of smoke, "I just… I just want to enjoy my life. Every minute, every second that's left of it."

Mark turned to face her. "You need to tell Callie."

"I will. I'm just waiting for the right time."

Mark walked back to Aria and opened his arms; Aria stepped into his arms and let him hug her.

Her head muffled against his chest, she teased, "You know what would make me feel really good and make me want to live longer? You and Callie getting back together."

"Way to play the terminally-ill card Aria." He felt her chuckle in his arms. "… I'll see what I can work out for you."


	4. Now

Universally recognized bad times to break up with your girlfriend:

Her birthday.  
Valentine's Day.  
Your Anniversary.  
During the Christmas holiday.

Unfortunately for Lexie Grey, Mark Sloan couldn't make himself wait until after the holidays.

It hit him – hard – that those little things that you put up with in a relationship… he just couldn't put up with them anymore. He couldn't stand Lexie's cheerful chirping. He couldn't stand the way she sat on the couch – her legs all curled up underneath her like a bird in a nest. He couldn't stand the way she sighed – releasing the breath a quiet accusatory rush.

He'd been trying to do the impossible for the past year.

But now that he knew he'd been trying the impossible, trying to squeeze himself into a Lexie, cookie-cutter shaped form… he needed to break free.

He needed to be free now that he'd realized that he couldn't stand the fact that Lexie **wasn't** Callie.

Now that he'd been reminded by Aria of what a gift life was.

()

He was waiting for her when she got home from work.

"Hey Sweetie! How was your day?" She chirped as she entered the apartment.

He blew out a puff of air – more anxious than nervous. "Lexie, we need to talk."

She stopped shedding her work stuff and looked at him, "What's wrong?"

"I wish I could be the man you want me to be, but I can't. I… you were right."

"Right? About what? What are you -?"

"Right about Callie; and me."

"You're cheating on me? With her?"

"No! No… but…. I need to break up with you, before I do cheat on you."

"…with Callie!"

"She's the only one who I'd break my promise to you with."

She snorted delicately, "Is that suppose to make me feel better?"

He shrugged, "It's suppose to be the truth. I'm telling the truth about everything now."

She dropped her work back onto the floor unceremoniously, "and you're realizing this now? After I've moved in? After we've been together for a year? At Christmastime? Damnit Mark!" She flushed, "I've been telling you she was dangerous to us for months… for a year.. And you finally, suddenly realize? Now?!"

"I'm sorry Lex. I tried - for a year - to make us work. I kept telling myself I could be what you wanted me to be. But I was lying to you, and to myself. I can't be what I'm not."

Lexie's face changed from icy anger to soft pleading; becoming more innocent and childlike right before his eyes. She floated to the couch and dropped to her knees in front of him.

"Mark, Honey, don't give up on us… on me. I know you love me. I know we can work this out. Maybe if we get married? Then… then you won't be as…. You're a good man. You won't break that promise. We'll be truly committed to one another then. And you and Torres can still be… friends; the line will just be more defined."

Mark touched her face lightly with his hand; as one would a child. "That line? It disappears every tie I'm close to her." He stood up. "I have changed Lexie, and you were a part of that change. You helped me realize that I can be a good man. But," He looked down at her. "I can't be your good man. If we continue this way – together – good man or not, I'd want Callie, every day,; every minute of every day. You deserve a man who feels that way about you."

Lexie pushed her way up off of her knees, turning her back to him she paced away. "And what about Callie? She's a freakin' lesbian! An involved lesbian!"

"I don't know if –"

"Is she over in her apartment right now? Delivering her personalized 'I'm dumping you for Mark' to Arizona?" She spun around to face him again, "did the two of you plan a dual dumping?! She's always wanted you, Jesus! I can't believe the two of you are doing this!"

Mark's jaw tightened. Lexie had a right to be pissed, but she was bitching about the woman he loved; only he was allowed to do that.

"Callie has no idea I'm doing this. She has no idea about how I feel…" he thought about Callie and Arizona, his face falling a bit, "She may never find out. But, I'm breaking up with you because I'm not in love with you Lex. And," he smiled darkly, "a very wise woman once told me, 'life's too short to spend it with someone you don't love. Life's way too fucking short.'"

Lexie blinked at him silently for a few seconds before, shoulders slumping, she offered, "I'll be moved out by the end of the week."

(())

Callie and Aria stood in the open doorway that led to the hallway, watching the revelers in the apartment. They were laughing and drinking and eating and drinking and mingling and drinking and dancing and… well you get the idea.

Aria's Christmas party was apparently a success.

"This was a good idea Aria," Callie offered only slightly begrudgingly.

"Of course it was." Aria nodded modestly. She had poked and pecked at Callie for a Christmas party while she was in town… and a Christmas party she had received. Decorations, food, music, and all of the people they'd been able to scramble together, which, surprisingly, was most of Callie and Cristina's friends.

Hunt had Cristina cornered in the kitchen, while in the middle of the living room about ten couples danced and chatted. Meredith was monopolizing Arizona in the bedroom hall, and off in the corner closest to the Christmas tree, Derek and Mark were having an animated conversation about something.

Callie had been successful in her attempts to ignore Mark for most of the past twenty-four hours, but now that he was in the room and not trying to talk to her, she allowed herself to watch him; his smile, his eyes, the way his hands moved.

"He's a good looking man," Aria observed as she wrapped her arms around Callie's waist and dropped her head onto her sister's shoulder so that they were both staring across the room to where Mark and Derek stood.

"He is." Callie admitted almost longingly. She took a deep breath and added, "But he's involved with someone. I'm involved with someone."

Aria grabbed Callie's left hand and held it up. "Is there a ring on this finger? Have you and Arizona exchanged vows?"

"No, but –"

"Is there a ring on mark's finger? Is he engaged? Married?"

"No…."

"Then all is fair in love," Aria turned Callie around to face her. "Sweetie, I keep saying it, but damnit, I'm a big believer in this fact: Life's too short to let 'what if's' and 'kinda sortas' stand in your way. If you want that man, go get him! Let him know!"

"Have you ever considered that he might not want me? **Want me** want me?"

"Not even for a second."

Callie snorted, "That's because you're delusional and live in a little world all of your own called Arialand."

Aria smiled, "And it's delicious here! Come visit!"

Callie smiled. "Sometimes…sometimes I think I see something in his eyes, something that makes me think that maybe…. but Ari, we've been friends now for years. Good friends. Best friends." Callie could feel here eyes welling up and she pulled her hand away from Aria's and brusquely wiped at her eyes. Putting a little more resolve and steel behind her voice she continued. "I can't afford to lose him as a friend."

"I feel like a fucking philosopher with all the advice I'm dispensing, but Cal, life is a series of leaps. If you don't take that next step? If you don't take that next leap? You'll never get anywhere."

"What if I fall? What if I take that damn leap and Mark isn't there to catch me?"

"What if he is!?"

"What if he isn't!?" Callie hissed.

"Well that'll never happen, but if it did, at least you would have taken a chance. Taken a shot. Leapt! Being stagnant? Thinking about those what ifs, and those kinda sortas? That's just a slow drawn out way to die." Aria grabbed Callie's hand and with a bright, "C'mon!" she dragged her through the dancing bodies to the other side of the room.

Pulling to a halt in front of Derek and Mark, Aria beamed her smile at Derek. "Dr. Shepherd, I need a dance partner. Are you free?"

Chuckling lightly, Derek glanced from Callie to Mark before turning to face Aria head on. "Like I could say no to you." He placed his hand on her elbow and trailed her into the middle of the room, but not before Aria responded, "Men do seem to have a problem saying no to me."

Left standing beside Mark, Callie tried to think of all of the ways she was going to mutilate her sister. And then she tried to think of a single way that she could extricate herself from Mark's side without it being obvious that that was what she was trying to do.

"Stop running away from me Callie." Mark bent his head to her ear, ostensibly to be heard without having to yell, realistically because he wanted to smell her perfume.

She lifted her chin. "Running?"

"You've been avoiding me all day today."

"We've been busy, putting all of this together," she waved her hands around at the party.

"You've been avoiding me."

She stared up at him. "I think we have to agree that being close to one another only gets us in to trouble."

"Shut up!"

Callie and Mark both turned their head in Aria's direction. She'd stopped dancing and was smiling at Derek, her voice bright and strident could be heard once again over the melee in the room. "Are you kidding me!?"

Derek leaned forward and said something in her ear and Aria repeated again, "Shut up!"

Turning her head in the direction of Mark and Callie, she grabbed Derek's hand and yanked him back off of the 'dance floor'. Reaching Mark and Callie's side she turned to Mark, "I'm returning your partner to you." She blinked, "By the way, how's that gift you were working on for me coming?" She was grinning like a Cheshire cat.

"I've gotten a start on it." Mark responded after glancing at Derek who was standing sheepishly to the side.

"So I hear. Good boy."

"He's not a dog Aria," Callie reminded her sister.

"True, but men, much like dogs will respond if you pet them the right way."

"Heyyyy!" Mark and Derek grouched simultaneously.

"Here you are!" Arizona sidled up to Callie and delivered a kiss to her cheek. "I was beginning to think you had snuck out of your own party."

"I did try and escape but Aria tackled me at the knees before I could make it out the door."

"Well follow me," Arizona held her hand out to Callie, "I know a great place where we can go and… be alone - so that you can strategize your next escape plan."

Callie extended her hand, refusing to look back at Mark or Aria, and followed Arizona.


	5. Falling Apart

Callie woke up to find Arizona leaning on her side staring down at her.

She plastered a smile on her face, but she wasn't fast enough, Arizona saw the flicker of sadness cross Callie's eyes.

"What's wrong Cal?"

"Nothing." She sat up, running her hands through her spectacular case of bed head.

Arizona touched Callie's arm, a faint ghost of a touch. "Something is wrong. You've been non-existent for the past week... and you had a headache last night."

"So a girl has to put out every night?" Callie went on the defensive and immediately felt guilty about it, she had feigned a headache last night, because, for the first time, she couldn't stand the thought of sleeping with Arizona. The idea, the thought, of having Arizona touch her had made Callie's gut ache. It wasn't an anti-Arizona pain, it was a 'she's not Mark' pain.

"No," Arizona bristled, "A girl doesn't have to put out every night, but, we haven't been together in over a week, and…."

"And I had a damn headache." Callie mono-toned.

"And you never have headaches."

"And I have one and suddenly it's the end of the world?" _Why am I doing this, why am I fighting with her – about this? There **is** something wrong._ She glanced up at Arizona; locking eyes with her.

Arizona sat back in the bed, her head against the wall. "Shit." She took a deep breath, "Okay, spill, what's wrong?"

"Do you love me?" Callie asked the words but she didn't want to hear the answer. She didn't want to hear a yes.

Arizona smiled, "You're hard not to love." She watched Callie's face; watched it drop and her body tense. Realization dawned on Arizona, "But you don't love me, do you?"

"I want to." Callie looked at her girlfriend. "I wish I could love you the way –"

"Is there someone else?"

"No. Yes. No." Callie played with the edge of the sheet. "I'm fucking things up again. Fucking things up big time. I want what I can't have. I don't want what I do have. And fuck! You're amazing! I mean, you're bright and beautiful and, and…"

"I'm not Mark."

Callie's face crumbled. _Shit. Shit!_ "I don't want to want him."

Arizona closed her eyes for a few seconds before opening them again. "Is it just want? If it's just lust, we, I, can work with that, but if it's… if it's more than 'want'?"

Callie remained silent.

"You love him?"

"I – I don't know." Something inside of her screamed 'yes'. "I…."

"Are the two of you sleeping together?"

"No." Callie looked Arizona in the eyes. "No."

A small smile flitted across Arizona's face. "But you do love him." It was said less as a question this time and more as a statement of fact.

"Want. Love. Who can tell?" Callie muttered as she threw herself back against her pillow.

"Okay…. Easier question. Do you want 'us' anymore?"

Callie felt tears well up at the edge of her eyes. "I don't want to hurt you."

Arizona snuggled down in the bed, lowering her head to Callie's shoulder. "I think that's unavoidable." Grasping her soon to be ex-girlfriend's hand and twining their fingers together she murmured, "I could have loved you for a long time Calliope Torres."

(())

"Hey, glad I caught you." Aria pushed open the apartment door as Callie slid on her shades and picked up her keys.

Rolling her head back, Callie groaned inwardly, all she wanted to do is go drown herself in coffee. A vat of coffee if possible. She and Arizona had broken up, and she was alone. Alone and in love/lust with her best friend. Again. She didn't need to be dragged into an Aria scheme, or listen to an Aria lecture.

"Seriously Ari, now is not a good time."

"Yeah well, I'll make this quick. I just wanted to let you know, I'm leaving."

That brought Callie up short. "Leaving for?" Lunch? Vegas? Pluto? It could be anything with Aria.

"Miami. I'm going home to Mami and Papi."

"When? When are you leaving?"

"Tomorrow, well, 3am so, tonight. Oh and yeah, I'll need a ride to the airport too, while we're on the topic."

"What the hell Aria? No warning?"

"Gotta go where the wind leads me baby." Aria sat down on the couch. "But before I go, I wanted to tell you something."

"You took the $50 out of my purse Sunday night?"

"Well, yeah, that was me, but no… that's not what I wanted to tell you."

Callie plopped down next to Aria, keys still in hand, glasses still on. "No offense, but can we keep this short? It hasn't been a good day. And it's only 10am."

"Oh honey, it's about to get a hell of a lot worse."

Callie turned to Aria. "What?"

"I've got cancer. Inoperable."

Callie's body snapped to attention and she felt her lungs tighten. "What?!" She pulled off her glasses, staring at Aria and trying to read for signs of this being some sick joke.

It was when Callie pulled off her glasses that Aria noticed her red rimmed eyes. "Callie what's wrong sweetie?"

"What?!"

"You've been crying."

"What?! Wait, no! You can't ask me about my problems when you just dropped a bomb like that. What do you mean you have cancer?" Callie sat up, "what kind of cancer? How do you know it's inoperable? Have you seen specialists? Do mom and dad know?"

"Too many questions." Aria searched through her purse, and pulled out a sheet of paper that she read from, "Small cell lung carcinoma, malignant, non operable." She folded the paper back up and shoved it into her purse. "I've been to three doctors, including one here, and they all say the same thing. 'So sad, too bad'. Only they say it much more politely than that." She smiled resolutely at Callie. "Apparently, smoking does cause cancer."

"That's not funny Aria." She hopped off of the couch and began to pace. "This isn't funny! Jesus Christ. Jesus fucking Christ!" She swung around and faced Aria. "There are some great doctors out here, or in other states… we can get you to see them," she rushed to her purse, pulling out her cell phone.

"Sloan already offered."

"What do you mean 'Sloan already offered'? Mark knows you have… you have…." She skipped saying the actual word. Avoided the thought. "How does Mark know?"

"Now, don't get pissed, he found out by accident a couple of days ago."

Callie remembered the evening Mark had marched into her apartment and dragged Aria out for a talk; she'd assumed it was because he wanted to bitch at Aria about the whole naked shower thing, but apparently…. She shook her head and tried to clear it. She'd deal with Mark later.

Callie walked over to Aria and dropped to her knees in front of her; staring at her sister – infuriating, exciting, beautiful, intelligent, pain in the ass sister – still hoping that this was just some sort of horribly mean joke. Reading nothing but resignation and honesty from Aria's dark eyes, Callie held out her arms.

They hugged each other, memorizing scents, and touches; the little/big things that people wish they'd noticed more of after someone has been taken from them.

(())

Callie used her key and pushed into Mark's apartment. She nodded at Sloane who was seated on the couch watching television, before turning into the kitchen to corner Mark.

Without bothering to say hello, she marched up to him and punched him on the bicep, hard. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Geez, fuck! Torres! What the hell!?"

"You should have told me Mark!"

His mind flitted through the things he should have told Callie, the naked picture he had of her on his camera? The break up? And then it hit him… Aria. "Sloane, go to your room, please."

"I'm an adult! I'm a pregnant adult; you can't 'send me to my room'!"

"Yes you are an adult," he walked past the pacing Callie and peered out at his daughter, "That's why I added the 'please' to the request." He eyed Sloane, who with a groan pulled herself off of the couch and headed down the hall to her bedroom.

"Thank you!" Mark yelled down the hall. He only cringed slightly when she slammed the bedroom door shut.

Taking a deep breath he turned to face Callie, who chose that moment to center on him and poke him in the chest with her finger. "You. Should. Have. Told. Me!"

"Stop poking me woman!" He grabbed her wrists and held them in one of his hands. He looked down at her; she'd been crying… a lot.

He pulled Callie close to him, released her wrists and wrapped his arms around her frame. "I'm sorry Callie, baby, she made me promise."

Callie rubbed her nose against Mark's chest until she found her regular spot and settled her head into the crook of his shoulder. "You should have told me Mark."

He kissed the top of her head. "She made me promise."

Callie tilted her head up and looked at Mark, "For future reference, you are on strict orders to deliver all pertinent information to me regarding my family members… or my friends, even if they make you promise." She buried her head in his chest again, taking strength and warmth from his body. He even made her feel better when she was angry at him. "Got it?!"

"Got it." He held her closer still.


	6. Living Fully

My name is Aria Marie Torres, and I lived a full life. Fuller than most.

I knew love.

I **knew** love.

And I knew happiness. And sadness…fear and excitement.

I had wonderful parents. Wonderful brothers, and a beautiful sister.

And I had an amazing mate.

I had a good, full, true life.

...But all good things must come to end.

()

When I first found out I was sick, I laughed. 

I laughed deeply..., unbelievably deeply. The doctor must have thought I was insane. 

But I wasn't insane…, I just found it… ironic that I was finally sick, sick with the same disease that had killed my beautiful Raff. I was sick, only I was sick three years too late.

During the two years that Raff had been ill, I had prayed – on knees, head bent - for two things. One, for his cure. Two, to be allowed to go with him.

Neither prayer had been answered.

After his death, I took up smoking again; a slow, but apparently effective, attempt to follow him to the grave. I took up dying – cigarette in hand; but at the same time I took up living. I traveled the world, I danced. I sang. I studied. I taught. I surprised myself by how hard and how fully I lived.

And now, three years later, after three years of fully living, I had found out that I was dying.

See, ironic.

I decided immediately that I wasn't going to do surgery or chemotherapy; surgery wouldn't have helped anyway, and I had seen how hard chemo had been on my Raff. 

Although I knew I wasn't going to resort to chemo or surgery, I did go for a second... and a third opinion. I even traveled across the U.S. to get those opinions… apparently, somewhere inside of me, there was an inkling, a small section of me that still had hope.

When I met with the third doctor, the expert in Seattle, I let go. I let go of that last little bit of hope. And instead of wanting to live, I simply decided to 'live fully' for as long as I could. No chemo, no radiation, just laughter, tears, dancing, alcohol, food, sex. 

And yeah… I had some one night stands - beautiful men who for a while could give me pleasure; Beautiful men who, for a moment, I could help make happy.

I had sex, and laughter and tears.

And then I slept.

And when I woke… Raff was there. And his arms were open.

(())

The best part of finding out I was sick was renewing my relationship with Callie.

We'd always had a … strained relationship. Older sister, younger sister. Bad girl, not so bad girl. First born, last born.

Oh, we always loved one another. But for years we didn't talk; we didn't communicate. We spent all of our time learning about one another through the family grapevine. 'Your sister's living with a man'. 'Your sister graduated from Medical school'. 'Your sister's fiancé… he's not doing well.' 'Your sister is gay'….

We learned about one another and cared about one another, but we didn't talk to one another.

…. We talked after I came to Seattle for my final medical opinion.

We did the talking thing and the laughing thing. And the crying thing and the hugging thing. And it was good. It was good to get to know my sister again. To know her as a woman. A beautiful, intelligent woman. And the best part of knowing her at this time? I got to see her in love. It was a twisted, confused, not quite in place love, but it was love.

And pat me on the back, I helped her find her mate.

Oh, okay, they already knew one another, but they were only orbiting one another; floating around in the same atmosphere…. chasing different stars.

So yeah, I helped her. Helped her see the man who was right in front of her. The man who had been circling her for years. The man she'd been circling for years.

I admit it, I didn't get why they weren't already living together. Why they weren't humping one another like bunnies. And, yeah, I'm going to say it…, and no, I'm not a pervert, but I bet the sex was hot.

Anyway, no, I didn't get it… when I met the two of them…? I didn't get why they weren't living together…, and humping…, and fighting… like lovers do.

I didn't get it.

I still don't quite get it. But that isn't really important anymore, because they are together…, now.

Thanks to me.

()

I left for Miami hours after breaking my bombshell over poor Callie's head. And after those tears and hugs that I told you about, Callie went across the hall to bitch at a certain Dr. Sloan for not sharing my secret with her earlier.

At 1am, I went across the hall, looking for my errant sister. Knocking on the door, my roller luggage sitting in the middle of the small corridor, I waited.

I was about to knock again when a tired, sleepy looking Mark Sloan opened the door. Smiling slightly, he stepped aside and let me in. "She's in the bedroom; I'll go wake her up."

Curiosity – damn bitch that she is – made me quietly follow him down the hall.

I paused at the door and watched him sit on the bed, the bed that had clearly been holding two people. "Cal, babe?"

Callie wasn't a good waker-upper, she hated having her sleep interrupted, but for all of her moaning and groaning, she woke, fairly easily for Mark; only flailing out at him and whacking him on the shoulder once.

She groaned as he rubbed his arm and called her name again. "Calliope, baby, wake up. Aria's here." Her eyes flew open at the mention of my name, and the pain I saw in them, even from where I stood, broke me. I turned away from the sight and pressed my back against the wall, listening to the sound of Mark holding my sister. Listening to her voice catch with tears….

"I can't do this Mark. I can't let her go."

"She's leaving whether you let her go or not. So you need to be with her now. You need to hug her. You need to tell her you love her." He pushed her bangs out of her eyes, and rubbed his thumb along her cheek. "You need to be with her, so that you can let her go."

I could hear Callie shifting out of the bed, moving on autopilot.

"Will… will you...? Come with?" Her voice was soft, almost as if she actually thought he wouldn't come; wouldn't say yes without even a second thought.

"Just need my shoes."

Callie glanced back at the mussed up bed. The bed they'd simply slept in for five hours; and it suddenly occurred to her: "I- should we leave a note for Lexie?"

He gave a short laugh, "She won't see it." Head down, he put on his tennis shoes. "We broke up."

Callie wrapped her arms around her frame. She couldn't process this; not now, not at this point. Later, when she'd come to grips with Aria's news; maybe then she could think about Mark and 'no' Lexie…. And what that meant to her. But for now, she simply nodded her head and whispered an "I'm sorry."

()

I won't bore you with the whole long story of the ride to the airport; of hugging Callie and Mark good bye. I won't even bore you with the details of finally sharing the news of my illness with my parents and my brothers.

I will tell you that I lived – fully – for a whole year. Long enough to see a couple of nieces and nephews born. Long enough to find out that my parents loved me as much as they loved Callie.

It was a good thing to hear.   
A good thing to know.   
A good thing to feel.

But enough about me. What I really want to tell you about is Callie. And Mark.

It took Callie two weeks - two weeks and four calls from me - to make a move. It wasn't a big move, but it was a move. And Mark didn't really need all that much encouragement… he was so close to the edge to begin with….

 

()

"Hey stop it!" Callie grabbed the spoon from Sloane's hand. "No cookie dough for you…"

Sloane groaned.

"Don't 'uggghhh' me! There's raw egg in there. It's not good for the baby."

Sloane looked down at her fully curved belly. "Can't eat pepperoni – heartburn. Can't eat cookie dough – food poisoning. Can't drink –"

"- Underage." Callie finished for her. "The first batch will be done soon and then you and baby can taste the greatness that is the Torres Special Chocolate Chip Heavenly Cookie."

Sloane slouched on her stool and pouted.

Taking pity on her, Callie grabbed a handful of chocolate chips and placed them in front of her on the counter. "Here, chocolate. Chocolate makes everything better."

Fighting a smile, Sloane plopped a few pieces in her mouth and mumbled, "These better be great cookies."

Callie stared at Sloane, "great isn't strong enough of a word. Great doesn't even come close to describing how amazing these cookies are."

Mark pushed into the kitchen from the hall where he'd been eavesdropping on Callie and Sloane. Heading over to Callie, he jumped into to their conversation. "She's right, they are damn good cookies." He stood behind Callie and wrapped his arms around her waist. Whispering loudly in her ear he added, "They're not quite as good as Callie sex, but they're damn good."

Sloane, half grimacing, half grinning rolled her eyes and offered, "I heard that."

"Mark!" Callie turned pink.

"I'm just saying."

"Well don't say it in front of Sloane!"

"I pretty certain Sloane knows about sex."

"Not about our… your… I mean, she might know about…"

Sloane climbed off of her stool, "Okay guys, you can just call me when the cookies are done… and when you're done talking about your sex lives, cuz while I do 'know' you have sex… I really don't want 'know' you have sex."

As she waddled out of the room Mark yelled out to her. "That feeling of 'ick' that you're experiencing? That's exactly how I feel about your s e x life, so, I don't want to hear about you and Eddie, or Freddie, or… anyone else anymore!"

"Did you just use our sex life as a lesson for your daughter?"

"I did."

"Kind of sneaky of you."

"True. And it actually served a dual purpose. I made my point, telling her I didn't want to hear about her escapades with past, present, or future boyfriends… ever. AND," Mark slid around to stand in front of Callie. "I got us some alone time."

Callie slipped her hands around Mark's shoulders and let him press her against the kitchen counter. "You, Dr. Sloan, are a sneaky man. Sneaky but smart."

He gave a quick smirk then his face straightened and he lifted one hand to her cheek. "I missed you."

His sincerity, when he got emotional like this, took her breath away, but she played it off, as much as she could. "You were only gone for three hours.

"Still missed you."

She pouted, almost imperceptibly, "you were with your other favorite person: Derek; you didn't miss me."

"I did miss you; Derek doesn't share my bed." He paused and at the sight of the smile on Callie's face added, "And don't say 'that would be hot', because it wouldn't be hot."

Callie broke into a peal of laughter, only stopping at the sound of the oven beeping its happy warning that the cookies were done. Her eyes widened, "Cookies!" Ducking under Mark's arms she grabbed a pot holder and headed to the stove.

Mark leaned against the counter she'd just vacated and watched Callie futz with the cookie sheets. As the scent of baked goodness filled the air he took a deep breath and asked, "Marry me?" It was his third time asking her since they'd become a couple. The third time in as many months.

She froze, almost undetectably then she turned off the oven. "Marrrrrk…" She didn't face him.

'Well at least her first word wasn't 'no' this time.' "Callie."

"Mark," she turned around, "why can't we just do what we've been doing? Enjoy being together?"

"I 'enjoyed' being together with Little Grey. I enjoyed being together with Montgomery. I want to 'marry' you."

"So you're saying you don't enjoy being with me?" She offered this question with the faint hope of starting an argument – distracting him.

Mark shook his head. "Not going to fight with you over semantics Torres. I'm saying I love you."

He counted himself lucky that she didn't flinch this time; this time she simply looked sad… and a little scared. Good, that was two of them.

"Mark…we've only been together for three months… it's too soon."

"Three years and three months. We've been friends and lovers for three years and three months." He'd learned to remove the Lexie year from all calculations; he lost all arguments that included the Lexie year. Moving closer to her, slowly… afraid her skittishness would make her leave the room. "I want to marry you." He cornered her against the stove. "Say yes."

"But…"

"You know you want to say yes."

"I hate it when you do that."

He raised his brow questioningly.

"When you try and tell me what I want."

"You only hate it because I'm always right."

She buried her head against his shoulder. "I love you."

He held her closer. "Marry me."

"If this ends with you cheating on me and us divorcing? I'm going to take you for every penny you have."

Closing his eyes and kissing her forehead with a faint, heartfelt smile on his face he responded, "I'll sign it away to you in blood in the prenup."

"I might ask for your gonads in the prenup too."

Bending down and lifting up Callie over his shoulder he chuckled, "You can have my gonads anytime you want them Torres."

.

.

.

Look, I'd love to stay and tell you more about Callie and Mark…. About Sloan and her little girl Abigail…she'll be around in about two months. Ohhh! And I really want to tell you about Aria Iphigenia Torres Sloan. I'd love to tell you about her and her arrival in about seven months, but… Raff just came in… and he's got two glasses of Shiraz in his hands… and a look in his eye.

I love that look.

And yes… there is sex in heaven.

Thank God!

**Author's Note:**

> Response to aclairec's wish on Mark n callie LJ, to see Aria in Seattle with Mark and Callie.


End file.
